This invention relates to carton loading machines.
Carton loading machines are commonly used to load a carton through an open end. In the known mechanisms, difficulty has been experienced in attempting to load cylindrical-shaped items such as cans or bottles through an open end of a carton without providing a substantial clearance between the load and the side walls of the carton. While a substantial clearance facilitates the loading of the carton, this same clearance is undesirable when the items are loaded into the carton because it permits the items to move within the carton when the carton is loaded and this is very undesirable. The freedom of movement within the carton can result in the containers colliding with one another to a sufficient extent to damage or break the container. Furthermore, this freedom of movement can be very dangerous when transporting a large load of cartons by means of a transport vehicle because it permits the load to shift relative to the vehicle.
A further difficulty which is experienced in carton-loading machines is that while a load may be correctly positioned for transfer into a carton, the carton may not be located in the carton confining compartment into which the load is to be transferred. In these circumstances, it is necessary to interrupt the operation of the carton loading machine in order to remove the load which cannot be accommodated. This interruption reduces the productivity because it creates downtime.